1. Field
The present disclosure relates to food holding cabinets for holding cooked or partially-cooked food in one or more food trays at an elevated temperature until the food is to be served. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a holding cabinet which utilizes a unique and novel airflow system with or without a food tray cover to enhance moisture retention or enhance crispiness of the food being held in the holding tray, respectively.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
Food holding cabinets, food trays and tray covers are well known, particularly in the fast food industry. The holding cabinets have heated chambers that hold multiple trays containing various food items at ready-to-serve temperatures for serving on an as needed basis. A widely used system employs a freestanding cover that is placed in the heating chamber of the cabinet and defines a receiving area for receiving a food tray. The food tray is placed in the receiving area until the tray is to be withdrawn from the chamber. The cabinet includes a wire rack for engaging the cover to prevent it from being withdrawn from the chamber along with the food tray. Although the wire rack serves its purpose, it interferes with cleaning the chamber. Also, there is heat loss through the space between the tray top edge and the freestanding cover.
One food holding cabinet is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,385,160, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This food holding cabinet has a housing defining a heating chamber for holding a covered food tray in a tray location via a pair of elongated rigid rods mounted to the housing for suspending a food tray cover thereon in a position above the tray location. A front rod extends across the opening to the heating chamber and supports the front end of the tray cover and a rear rod supports the rear of the cover. When a food tray is inserted into the tray location, it lifts and supports the cover. When the tray is removed, the front rod prevents removal of the cover along with the underlying tray. The front rod is spring-loaded to be pulled away from the housing to facilitate removal of the cover.
This other food holding cabinets are disclosed in US Patent Publication Nos. 2011/0253703, 2011/0253698 and 2007/0144202, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
The present disclosure also provides many additional advantages, which shall become apparent as described below.